Flattened resident of the coastal stream. It hides under rocks and waits. The flathead galaxias has a long, slender body. But the head is noticeably flattened from top to bottom. This is an adaptation for hiding under rocks and in tight spaces. The colour is mottled olive-brown to golden. Darker blotches often mark the sides. The mouth is large and slightly downturned. It is perfect for picking food off the bottom. A fish that looks like it was stepped on. Bottom-huggers of the lowland stream. Flathead galaxias spend most of their time on or near the substrate. They hide under rocks and in root wads. They emerge at night to feed. They eat insects, worms and small crustaceans. They pick them off the bottom with a downturned mouth. They are not strong swimmers. They prefer the slow, deep pools where they can hover without expending too much energy. A fish that does not need to be fast. It is the fish of the coastal plain. This landscape has been heavily modified by farming, drainage and development. Flathead galaxias are still common in the remaining healthy streams. But those streams are getting harder to find. Coastal development, water pollution and introduced fish have taken their toll. A fish that is losing its home. To find a flathead galaxias is to find a piece of old New Zealand. It is a small, flat-headed fish in a tannin-stained stream. It serves as a reminder of what the lowlands looked like before the drains went in. Before the water was turned to pasture. The stream is brown. The water is slow. The flathead hides under a rock. Its flattened body is pressed against the gravel. It does not know that the stream is dying. It does not know that the pasture is taking over. It just hides. That is all it can do.